Tag Archives: International

Electronic Intifada: Don’t mention the ‘A’ word: attack on freedom of speech turns into another own goal


Israel-Palestine Debate Part 3

Ben White, 11/27/2011 – Electronic Intifada

Last Thursday, I participated in a debate on Palestine/Israel organised by the University of Birmingham Debating Society. The format of the event was similar to the BBC television show ‘Question Time’, with six panellists taking both pre-prepared questions, and points from the audience. The debate was held in conjunction with both the Jewish Society and Friends of Palestine Society, a rare occasion when the two groups have shared a platform.

The whole debate can be watched on YouTube, but one of the talking points of the evening came when, barely half an hour in, an audience member asked the panel if Israel is an apartheid state. The chair’s unexpected reply was that this was not a subject that could be discussed: “I’ve been told I can’t have that as a question”, she stressed (watch here). Inevitably, all the panellists then proceeded to address the issue – Victor Kattan said he’d refer to “A”.

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Electronic Intifada: Bill in Congress seeks to investigate US Boat to Gaza for “terrorist” ties

by Ali Abunimah, Electronic Intifada, 11/11/2011

A bill introduced in the United States Congress last month would require the State Department to investigate “The sources of any logistical, technical, or financial support for the Gaza flotilla ships, including the Audacity of Hope, that were set to set sail from Greece on July 1, 2011.

The bill, which contains numerous inflammatory and unsubstantiated claims from an Israeli “anti-terrorism” organization, would further criminalize American citizens’ solidarity with Palestinians (link) .

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Mondoweiss: ‘Adbusters’ seeks right of reply to ‘NYT”s smear of anti-Semitism and fails to get it

Kalle Lasn on Mondoweiss, Nov 5, 2011

Kalle Lasn here with a story about how the New York Times refused to giveAdbusters [which Lasn edits] the right of reply. Here is the chronology of what happened:

1. October 3 letter from Adbusters Kalle Lasn to the editor of the New York Times:

In the wake of the #OCCUPYWALLSTREET movement, the New York Times has twice taken a swipe at Adbusters magazine, originators of the event. David Brooks led the charge in his October 10 column, The Milquetoast Radicals, falsely accusing us of being anti-Jewish.

In an earlier column, Mr. Brooks said: “Jews are a famously accomplished group. They make up about 0.2 percent of the world population, but 54 percent of the world chess champions, 27 percent of the Nobel physics laureates … 37 percent of Academy Award-winning directors … 51 percent of Pulitzer Prize winners for nonfiction” and so on. And yet, in his October 10 column he found something insidious about an article Adbusters ran seven years ago pointing out that 50 percent of the prominent neocons surrounding the Bush administration were Jewish. Why the double standard, Mr. Brooks? How is this different?

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Greek Association for Solidarity with the Palestinian People: Activists detained after interrupting Israeli ambassador’s speech

Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Athens, Greece

Tonight, members of the Intifada Association (Greek Association for Solidarity with the Palestinian People), supported by other solidarity activists, staged a peaceful protest raising the Palestinian flag during the first public speech of the Ambassador of the Israeli Apartheid in Greece, Arye Mekel. The Ambassador s speech was held in a conference organized by a host of pro-zionist entities (HEL.C.E.I.A., R.I.E.A.S., Defencenet). Many Greek parliamentarians attended the conference.

When the Israeli Ambassador stepped up on the podium, the members of the Intifada Association raised a Palestinian flag and expressed their solidarity to Palestinians with mottos such as “Free Palestine”, “Solidarity to Hunger Strikers”, “End torture in Israeli prisons”, and “Boycott The Israeli Apartheid”. Α group of undercover policemen intervened and violently expelled the two activists from the conference room, only to surrender them to a police unit outside the building where the conference was taking place.

(Video from Omnia TV)

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US National Lawyers Guild: American Universities Must Protect Students’ Freedom of Speech on Palestine and Israel

For immediate release: Tuesday, October 11, 2011,  National Lawyers Guild

New York, NY:  University administrators may be violating American students’ First Amendment rights when they curtail criticism of Israel, according to the National Lawyers Guild. Prompted by growing reports of censorship by student activists and the Irvine 11, David Gespass, President of the National Lawyers Guild, issued a letter to over 100 university administrators around the country clarifying their duty to protect the rights of Arab and Muslim students.

“The First Amendment creates no exceptions for criticism of Israel,” said Gespass, President of the National Lawyers Guild, in the letter. “Criticism of Israel and Zionism is constitutionally protected speech targeted at a political ideology, policy, or viewpoint. It reflects a healthy environment in which dissent and debate may thrive.”

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Muzzlewatch: Getting banished by the Jewish Federation on Yom Kippur

What does Chabad Rabbi Manis Friedman have that I don’t have? Is it the beard? The religious authority? Or is it the record of advocating for the killing of Arab women, men and children?  Why does he get to stay on the Jewish Federation’s much promoted Jewish Heroes competition list, while I was unceremoniously deleted- without explanation- this morning, less than 24 hours after a story about my nomination appeared in JWeekly, the Bay Area Jewish paper.

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MECA: Thank You! Come See “A Child’s View From Gaza” in Oakland


As promised, the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) presented “A Child’s View From Gaza” on the scheduled opening date, September 24, 2011. The art exhibit opened in the courtyard outside of the Museum of Children’s Art (MOCHA) in Oakland to a tremendous crowd of supporters. More than 500 men, women, and children of all ages and backgrounds came to celebrate the artistic expression of Palestinian children in Gaza. WATCH VIDEO
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Electronic Intifada: Why the Irvine 11 are true American heroes

The conviction of the Irvine 11 is a testament to the degree that Islamophobia has grown in the West. Moreover, it is a testament to how unwilling the United States has become to question its relationship with Israel.

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Mondoweiss: ADL gloats over the cancellation of Gaza children’s art exhibit

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Students for Justice in Palestine: We Stand With the Irvine 11

“It is our right and duty to speak out against Israel’s egregious violations of international law and Palestinian rights. . . . To the Irvine 11: you are not alone. Like Dr. King wrote of his own unjust verdict, this week in September, the court convicted more than just you; it convicted every student dedicated to upholding human rights and ending injustice. We commend you for your courage and moral clarity.”

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